Beef Roast Braised in Red Wine

Ingredients

• 1 chuck roast, boneless
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 4 oz pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 2 medium onions, chopped medium
• 2 medium carrots, chopped medium
• 2 ribs celery, chopped medium
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press
• 1 bottle Zinfandel wine
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

Directions

1. Season the roast generously with salt, then leave it at room temperature while you get the vegetables ready. If the roast has a very thick layer of fat, trim away some of it, but do not take it all off. A bit of fat is your friend here, keeping the beef moist as it braises. Many chuck roasts from the supermarket are already trimmed just right.
2. Add a little water to a Dutch oven or another heavy pot with a lid. Place it over medium heat, then add the diced pancetta. When the water starts to simmer, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the pancetta cook slowly until the fat renders and the pieces become crisp without scorching.
3. Once the pancetta is browned and crisp, lift it out with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Heat the oven to 300 degrees F. Blot the beef dry with a paper towel, raise the burner to medium, and sear the roast in the pot until it is browned on every side.
4. After the beef is browned, transfer it to a bowl. Add the onions, carrot and celery to the pot, and season the vegetables with salt as they cook. Turn the heat up to medium-high and sauté them for 2-3 minutes.
5. Stir in the tomato paste so it coats the vegetables, then cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more.
6. Raise the heat to high, then add the tomatoes, pancetta, herbs and red wine. Set the beef back into the pot, cover it, and move the pot to the 300 degrees F oven. Cook for 3 hours, turning the roast over with tongs at the halfway point.
7. Take the pot out of the oven and move the beef to a large bowl. Cover it loosely with foil to keep it warm. Let the liquid in the pot stand for a few minutes, then skim off some fat with a wide, shallow spoon if you like. If you have an immersion blender, blend the contents of the pot; if not, use a whisk to break up the vegetables.
8. Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce it to about 3 1/2 cups. Pour it through a large fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids with a spatula to get out as much liquid as possible; you should end up with a couple cups of strained sauce.
9. Pour in any juices that have collected in the bowl with the beef. Boil the sauce again until it is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, then season it to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Slice the meat into roughly 1/2-inch-thick pieces and spoon the sauce over the top. Serve with a bold red wine and crusty bread or mashed potatoes.